Enrich the cultural life of the nation

Our vision for 2020

We recognise that the learners of today are the researchers of tomorrow. We are committed to engaging people through our content and expertise. In particular, we aim to bring to life the vast international heritage held within the British Library through immersive, interactive experiences. Through public engagement, particularly in the digital space, we will demonstrate to all the relevance of research and the value of heritage and culture.

To make this vision a reality, we will develop new relationships and build on existing strong partnerships with public service organisations such as the BBC and commercial players such as Microsoft. In particular, we will leverage the expertise of our partners in bringing cutting-edge, interactive technologies to our public programmes.

Streaming video in Windows Media format. 1m:37s
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In this video: Peter Barber, Map Librarian

To deliver our vision we will:

Digitise our rare and unique collections, enrich them with the expertise of our specialist curators and community of users, and make them more widely accessible on digital platforms for everyone in the world to appreciate and enjoy

Provide access to the collection through vibrant and interactive experiences, both online and on-site

Develop, in partnership, new collaborative virtual and physical public spaces

Engage in ‘crowd-sourcing’ initiatives that involve our users, staff and other knowledge organisations.